Chapter 11: Ji Ning vs. Xiamang Zishan

"It's the Netherworld Poison Vulture technique!" Ji Ning recognized it at a glance. Cangwu Jiu had long been famous, and this Netherworld Poison Vulture technique was his signature move. It was a massive 'Netherworld Poison Vulture' formed by a formation of treasures, with Cangwu Jiu himself hidden inside the giant vulture. Once the vulture failed, Cangwu Jiu would charge out from within and engage in close combat.

Yu Wei also pointed from afar.

Whoosh!

Seventy-two Rahu Godneedles instantly appeared in midair, channeling elemental power to draw upon the forces of heaven and earth, coalescing into a massive ice phoenix and a massive fire phoenix. Both phoenixes howled as they charged toward the black vulture.

"Caw~~~" The black vulture let out a piercing cry, then its sharp claws struck downward fiercely.

The ice phoenix and fire phoenix clashed with it only twice before cracks appeared all over their surfaces. On the third strike from the black vulture, both phoenixes collapsed directly, and the seventy-two Rahu Godneedles flew back.

"Rise." Ji Ning stood there, surrounded by blooming water-fire lotuses.

The water-fire lotuses circled in layers, their leaves swaying in the wind and spinning continuously.

Boom~~~

The diving black vulture crashed directly into the water-fire lotuses. But with each loud crash, though some lotus leaves shattered, they quickly grew back, incredibly resilient. This startled Xiamang Zishan, who had been watching leisurely from afar—it was beyond his expectations.

After six months of training, especially comprehending the Dao of Rain and the Dao of Fire, the 'Water-Fire Lotus' technique had become more perfectly balanced, its power significantly increased. And with first-rank Earthfire and Cold Abyss as its foundation, how could it be easily broken?

"Go quickly." Ji Ning sent a mental message.

"Swoosh." Yu Wei turned into a streak of light and tried to fly away.

"Caw~~~" The black vulture suddenly opened its beak, and a figure shot out—Cangwu Jiu himself. In his hand was a curved blade. As he emerged, his body swelled to twenty zhang, and his right arm turned golden. In a flash, he appeared before Yu Wei, startling her into retreating.

"Go." Over seven hundred flying swords appeared around Ji Ning.

A coalesced golden flying sword shot out with a roar.

Bang!

The power of the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation momentarily halted Cangwu Jiu, but in an instant, his golden right arm swung his blade, cleaving the condensed flying sword apart. Yu Wei fled back into the 'Water-Fire Lotus.'

"He's too fast; I can't escape at all." Yu Wei sent an urgent mental message.

Ji Ning understood. Not to mention Yu Wei, even he himself wasn't sure he could escape Cangwu Jiu's pursuit—Cangwu Jiu's greatest strength was his movement technique.

"Then we'll trap them!" Ji Ning sent mentally. "Senior apprentice-sister, join me in holding off Cangwu Jiu first."

"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!" Golden flying swords from the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation shot out one after another.

Yu Wei's seventy-two Rahu Godneedles flew out again. The Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, ice phoenix, and fire phoenix all surged forward together. Cangwu Jiu frowned at the onslaught and the massive water-fire lotus, then sent a mental message: "Xiamang Zishan, make your move!"

With Ji Ning and Yu Wei working together, Cangwu Jiu alone couldn't sweep them.

"Just two people—I thought you could handle them alone." Xiamang Zishan laughed. "Cangwu Jiu, remember, don't let them escape. You're the best at chasing and trapping enemies."

"Don't worry." Cangwu Jiu stood in the air and pointed into the distance.

Suddenly, gale winds arose, howling into a tornado that enveloped the area for several li, trapping Ji Ning and Yu Wei completely inside.

"I'll trap them with the 'Qian Heavenly Wind,' assisted by the Netherworld Poison Vulture, ready to strike at any moment." Cangwu Jiu sent mentally. "With three layers of measures, they can't escape. The head-on fighting is up to you."

"Hahaha..."

Xiamang Zishan laughed heartily.

Boom!

His footsteps shook the mountain. His body swelled to twenty zhang, and purple lightning crackled all over him, even spreading to the surrounding sky. In his hand appeared a massive black iron staff. Holding it, he charged through the great whirlwind toward the water-fire lotus.

"Boom~~~" With a single sweep of his black iron staff, as if cutting off a river's flow, large numbers of water-fire lotus leaves were smashed in two.

"So strong." Ji Ning was shocked.

Why was he even stronger than expected? The intelligence from Tianbao Mountain on 'Xiamang Zishan' didn't seem this fearsome. His water-fire lotus was utterly fragile before this man.

"Ji Ning, is it? Come!" Xiamang Zishan laughed, his aura like a mountain, crushing everything in his path.

Ji Ning took a step forward.

Boom!

He grew to eighteen zhang, lightning crackling around him, holding two Northmoon swords as he charged. A vertical eye appeared on his forehead, sending bolts of lightning at Xiamang Zishan, who didn't even dodge!

Purple lightning swirled around Xiamang Zishan's body, easily blocking Ji Ning's lightning bolts. As for mental attacks, he paid them no heed.

"One Thought into Soldiers."

Invisible, colorless mental swords, sabers, and spears howled into Xiamang Zishan's sea of consciousness, slashing and stabbing wildly.

Xiamang Zishan paused slightly, then recovered, his eyes growing wilder: "Not bad tricks!"

"Truly worthy of being ranked first in Tianbao Mountain's intelligence." The giant Ji Ning, holding twin swords, charged out with absolute confidence in his eyes.

"Hahaha..." Xiamang Zishan, wielding his black iron staff, exuded overwhelming power. Before his breakthrough, he was already ranked first in Tianbao Mountain's intelligence. After this breakthrough, he believed he had no rivals—his goal in this Immortal Fortune Convention was the top spot!

The two clashed in an instant.

Dazzling sword light shot into the sky!

The mighty torrent of staff strikes shattered the surrounding water-fire lotuses.

Boom!!!

Ji Ning stepped back three paces.

Xiamang Zishan also stepped back three paces, causing the surrounding rocks to collapse and the mountain to tremble.

"What?" Cangwu Jiu in the air was stunned. "He blocked that madman Xiamang Zishan? This Ji Ning's close combat ability is terrifying."

"Impressive, you can take the third form of my Heaven-Earth Mighty Staff! Now taste my newly created fourth form—this one merges four complete Daos into the Dao of Lightning!" Xiamang Zishan grew even more frenzied, charging at Ji Ning again, his staff flowing with purple lightning.

One staff strike came, as if tearing heaven and earth apart.

Ji Ning met it head-on, his Northmoon swords transforming into two dazzling beams of light to receive the fearsome strike.

"Bang!"

A heavy blow.

Xiamang Zishan didn't retreat a step, but Ji Ning was sent flying backward, crashing into the mountain wall behind him. The already unstable mountain began to collapse.

"How is this possible?" Ji Ning's face paled. In their first exchange, he had used the Star Picking Hand and barely matched his opponent. But when Xiamang Zishan unleashed a stronger technique, he was completely outclassed.

"His staff technique is stronger than my sword technique." Ji Ning understood.

In terms of the Dao, the gap was too great.

Moreover, his opponent had reached the twelfth level of the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens, surpassing him!

As a member of the royal Xiamang clan, his divine ability, though not as good as the Star Picking Hand, was still a decent one in the Three Realms—the gap wasn't too absurd.

"Rumble~~~" The mountain collapsed, rocks tumbling down.

Ji Ning and Xiamang Zishan faced each other from a distance, ignoring the falling rocks, which were pulverized into dust by the divine power on their bodies before even touching them.

"Three Heads, Six Arms!" Ji Ning shook himself, sprouting two more heads and four arms.

"Haha, me too." Xiamang Zishan also shook, becoming three-headed and six-armed, holding three black iron staves.

"Come on."

Ji Ning charged forward, employing the Windwing Evasion technique, moving like a ghost toward Xiamang Zishan.

"Hahaha..." Xiamang Zishan still charged straight ahead, meeting him head-on.

Both were now three-headed and six-armed!

Six swords against three black iron staves!

For a time, flowing sword light was beautiful, while the torrent of staff strikes was like heavenly thunder. Ji Ning no longer clashed head-on. In the past, his Star Picking Hand had been invincible, but against Xiamang Zishan, he began to rely on the agility of his swords, combined with the Windwing Evasion. Though each exchange sent him stumbling back, at least he wasn't being blasted away like before.

"I strike, I strike, I strike, strike, strike!!!" Xiamang Zishan was ferocious, his three black iron staves smashing wildly.

Ji Ning's six swords were like an endless stream of water, parrying and redirecting the blows, occasionally sneaking in a thrust.

Blood trickled from Ji Ning's mouth: "I can't keep this up. I have to save senior apprentice-sister."

"Lesser Thousand Sword Formation!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Golden flying swords coalesced and shot toward Cangwu Jiu in the sky. Ji Ning sent an urgent mental message: "Senior apprentice-sister, go now!"

"Bang." Xiamang Zishan's staff sent Ji Ning crashing into the rubble. He roared, "Kid, don't get distracted! Distraction means death!"

...

The battle between Xiamang Zishan and Ji Ning had long drawn the attention of everyone from Pure Yang True Immortals and Celestial Immortals to almost everyone in the Imperial City Square.

"Xiamang Zishan and Cangwu Jiu—ranked first and second in Tianbao Mountain's intelligence."

"That Ji Ning is amazing, holding off Cangwu Jiu."

"Now he's fighting Xiamang Zishan."

"Xiamang Zishan is so strong! And Ji Ning can actually exchange a hundred blows with him?" On the Imperial City Square, people from the three thousand six hundred commanderies and the four seas watched anxiously. Many were loose immortals and earth immortals, able to see how formidable Xiamang Zishan's staff technique was.

It surpassed the staff techniques of many loose immortals! Moreover, Xiamang Zishan's divine body and divine ability were clearly extremely powerful, making him utterly domineering.

Yet Ji Ning, a youngster who had cultivated for only thirty-odd years, was holding him off—though at a disadvantage, relying on the flexibility of his swordplay, he was still managing to tie him down!

When they saw Ji Ning divert his attention to control the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation to restrain Cangwu Jiu, only to be struck heavily by Xiamang Zishan and sent flying into the rubble, many felt their hearts clench for him.

"This Ji Ning is distracted in a life-or-death battle? His opponent is Xiamang Zishan!"

"Don't sacrifice your own life trying to save that female companion."

On the Imperial City Square, many were discussing it.

Mu Zishuo, Xiao Qing, the Whitewater Hound, the Mad Immortal, Beishan Baiwei, Jiulian, and others had long been tense with worry, but they couldn't enter, unable to help Ji Ning, forced to watch everything unfold.

...